Country Music: The Most Popular Genres You Need To Know (Part 1)
One of the most debatable topics ever heard — what is and what isn’t a country song. You will find that one person in a group who will comment- “that’s not a piece of country music”. Country music developed in the Southern United States in the 1920s, popularly known by the names “ American Folk Music” and the “ Blues”. In the early years, Country music was played on by musical instruments like acoustic guitars, fiddle, banjo,mandolin and the auto-harp. However, in the 1930s and 40s onward it started gaining popularity when the cowboys singing the country song started to appear in the Hollywood cowboy movies. Therefore, country music is also popular by the name “ Western or Hillbilly music”. This music encompasses many different styles. In this blog, I have listed the most popular sub-genre of Country music.
Appalachian Folk
This genre is also known as old-time music originated from the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Appalachian music includes English ballads, hymns, Irish and Scottish traditional music, and African and American folk songs. The instruments include banjo, fiddle, and guitar.
Bluegrass
This genre originated from the old-time Appalachian music. Bill Monroe is known as the “ Father of Bluegrass music” and the name was derived from the band named “Blue Grass Boys”. This music focuses on Irish traditional ballads, American blues, and jazz. The musical instruments used include guitar, harmonica, fiddle, five-string banjo, and mandolin.
Western Swing
This genre originated in the late 1920s, but became popular in the year 1930s and 40s in the war-time night clubs. The Western music mixes the rural cowboy jazz and blues with the swing. The musical instruments used include drums, saxophone, piano and pedal steel guitar. This music was widely popular in Texas, California and Oklahoma.
Rockability
This sub-genre can also be called as country rock and roll. This genre mixes the sound of Western music with rock and roll. This genre also blends rock and roll with hillbilly music ( In Nashville, the poor mountain farmers used to sing-song, and their old-time music was called hillbilly music). The musical instruments include double bass, drums, guitars, piano and songs include dilutional vocal harmonies and strong verses.
Honk Tonk
This genre originated in the 1940s in the working class. The songs were played in the bars with musical instruments like drums, pedal steel and acoustic guitar, fiddle and more. The theme of the songs was heartbreaks, loneliness, love, and pain, which the working class could relate to.
If you thought this is all, then you are wrong. The list of Country Music sub-genre is quite long. In the next blog, I will be back with more sub-genres of country music for you. But, irrespective of different styles, one musical instrument remains the constant, i.e. the guitar. Buy the best guitar from the online music store in the Philippines and start strumming.
